Hat's off to the Force (Kalaheo). They were very tough against us a few weeks ago and we had to dig deep to beat them then. This time, they hit those 3s early and we never got going consistently on offense. Big props to them. They play like a veteran team and have great spacing, chemistry and shooting. A really well-coached team. I think they might challenge for the OIA title next season if they can keep all their players together.
I was concerned about being us being off from the perimeter after another 2-week layoff with no practices. It happened the last time we played the Force. We were so cold, but we made a game of it. Except this time, we didn't attack the rim as often as we did the first time. Good run to cut the lead to two points, but we just weren't committed enough offensively to attacking the Force's weak spot, and our rustiness from long range didn't help.
I've always said that players win games and coaches lose them. In tonight's case, it was definitely my fault. I should have anticipated cold shooting after the long layoff and required our guys to go inside on EVERY possession with a high-post/low-post game. I gave our guys a lot of freedom to launch from deep, and it ended up hurting us. I saw this coming and should've scrapped the usual game plan in favor of an inside attack. They never stopped us consistently when we did go inside.
All in all, for a team that hasn't practiced together in almost two months, it's amazing you've played as well as you have. There have been some games when the shooting was lights out. It was a treat to watch, and I know you guys had fun out there. All I can hope is that you enjoy and love the game as much as I do, hopefully, even more.
This was a fun season and I hope you had as much fun as I did. One more game tomorrow for third place. Let's have some fun!
Schedule
Saturday, 1 p.m., 15U game at Palama Gym. Be there by noon for warmups, just in case the game starts early (before 1 p.m.)
Saturday, 7 p.m., 17U game at Palolo Gym. Be there by 6 p.m. for warmup and probable early start.
Note: We may have an exhibition game at Kailua on Sunday, June 5, in the afternoon. Waiting to hear back from Coach Daniel (Keanu's dad) about that. Also, Leilehua is interested in playing us. Both games would be 17U, but 15U guys are welcome to play. Of course!
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